Close your eyes and imagine yourself at the foot of the remains of an ancient Greek temple from the 5th century B.C.E., like the Temple of Castor and Pollux, pictured left. After learning about the thriving civilization that built Agrigento in the centuries before the common era from your archaeologist-guide, you’ll then savor a picnic…
Category: Art
Buona Madonna!
Buona Madonna! This is how my cousin Evelina in Sicily greeted me by text today. So, Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception or la Festa dell’Immacolata to you! Today’s feast recognizes that the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, was conceived without original sin — something with which, in Catholic dogma, every person is considered…
Sicily And The Myth of Demeter and Kore
The leaf-less trees along my morning walks in the New York City area are a painful reminder that winter’s arrival is imminent. And so, I think of earth’s seasonal cycles, which for centuries were explained by the myth of Demeter and Kore: Hades, the God of the Underworld, abducted the maiden Kore while she was…
Ancient Sicilian Devotion
As we prepare for our annual Feast of Santa Lucia on Sunday, Dec. 9 in NYC at Cacio e Vino (Details and register at https://experiencesicily.com/events/festa-di-santa-lucia/), we must first start long before Lucia’s time, in the 7th century B.C.E. During this ancient Greek era, women devotees prayed to the goddesses Persephone and Demeter for healthful fertility…
Beyond The Bend: Licodia Eubea
Beyond the bend is a small town with a lot of heart: Licodia Eubea. Join us on Wed., Nov. 28 at 7PM for “An Evening in Licodia Eubea,” featuring a reading by writer and native of Licodia Eubea, Natale Caruso. Meet old friends and make new for a social with light refreshments, music, and literary…
In May, Take Your Breath Away
One of the most magnificent experiences you could have in Sicily is attending the festival of ancient Greek theater in Siracusa in the 5th century B.C.E. ancient Greek theater. Last May, our tour groups were each fortunate to have seen one of the productions in rotation–like this one pictured, Sophocles’ Oedipus at Colonus, which was…
Teatro Andromeda Is Out Of This World
When my co-host, wellness practitioner Tony Allicino, and I were planning the itinerary for our May 2019’s Myths & Mysteries of Sicily: As Above/So Below tour, planning a day at the Teatro Andromeda, one of Sicily’s hidden gems, was an absolute must. So, if you join us, from the top of the mythic Sicani mountains…
Peace Dove in Mazara Del Vallo, Sicily
Tile on the a wall in the kasbah of Mazara del Vallo (Photo Credit: Peter DiGeronimo)
The Madonna Of The Milicia River
My heart is heavy knowing about the loss of life because of the Milicia River spontaneously swelling in Casteldaccia, Sicily over the weekend due to torrential rains. When I heard the tragic news, I immediately thought of the Madonna of the Milicia, the sacred painting, pictured, that is venerated in Casteldaccia and Altavilla Milicia, coastal…
Celebrating Sicily’s Martyr, Santa Lucia
All Saints Day is a day to remember all the saints known and unknown. On All Saints Day, November 1, we also remember martyrs, like Santa Lucia of Siracusa, pictured, who adorns the city’s Duomo. Save the Date: Sunday, December 9, we are hosting our annual Festa di Santa Lucia luncheon at Cacio e Vino…